Round & Round, We Go
by MegaFrost4
Summary: AU What If The Avengers Lost? Thanos had won...And they found horrors beyond their wildest dreams. WARNING: Mature Content, Torture, Gore, Suicide
1. Chapter 1

"All-Fathers, give us strength..." Thor prayed quietly as they continued through the dense forest. For the past several months, the team had been helping their Captain take down every HYDRA base they could find.

This was supposedly, hopefully, the last one.

Thor had fought a great many evil in the Nine Realms, but he had no idea how cruel and unusual humans could be. The documents and video footage and the suicides were sickening to him.

Mankind was better than this, was it not?

"Heads up, lots of hostiles surrounding...nothing inside from what I can tell." Tony repeated FRIDAY's analysis of the area.

"Alright, spread out, we come at them together...Hulk?" An impatient growl answered him. "After you."

The Hulk roared to life as he was not the best at stealthy maneuvering. This was more of his forte.

Clint saw at least 100 HYDRA agents come out of the building going crazy. They were severely outnumbered.

_But we're the Avengers...we got this...we took out an entire alien army in New York with no backup...these are just a bunch of assholes._

And they did...with hardly any injuries on the team thanks to the Hulk using the wiring on the surrounding wall as a lasso, every HYDRA soul chose the cyanide. The Avengers had given up on taking prisoners after the first week of this mission of taking out HYDRA once and for all.

"I'm retiring after this...I'm past the point." Clint whined.

Natasha gave him a look, then proceeded to lead him and Steve inside, while Thor and Tony circled the perimeter. The Hulk continued to go wild on anything and everything he could find.

Steve Rogers caught a lump in his throat, as he thought he heard a child crying. He motioned for them to follow him down a staircase. A couple minutes later, they finally made it to the bottom, the crying slowly getting more prominent.

"Could be a trap." Natasha speculated. Heroes always come to the rescue, a recording device with a bomb attached to it is something she has unfortunately dealt with a time or two in her past.

An echoing giggle sent shivers down their spine.

Clint found a power switch, adding light to their unknown whereabouts. It looked like an old asylum, that was for some reason underground. Why hide it?

Another laugh lead them forward. Looking from side to side, the rooms were all barred with no doors, like it was almost more of a prison than an insane ward.

Steve gripped his shield tighter. Something did not feel right.

"_Cap!_" Tony cried in his ear. "_There's something out here that just went inside. Thor and I are coming to help you! I-_" Static.

"Why do we need backup?" Natasha asked.

Clint had every hair standing up, he was so nervous. _Cap didn't hear a bomb, I don't see anything too far out of the ordinary...what the hell?_

They entered a chamber with so much science equipment and operating tables with jars and jars of blood and, OH MY GOD WERE THOSE...

Clint threw up, as Natasha gasped and Steve's knees buckled.

Dismembered bodies and skeletons were carelessly thrown in a circle, with small skulls lining the walls. This was the stuff of nightmares. All of these old experiments with human body parts were not just speculations from the military. And there were weird writings on the manuscripts and even on the wall with...

Blood.

Steve knew the Nazis were the bad guys...but this, this was inhumane...

"CAP! Y'ALL HAVE GOT INCOMING!"

The three turned around to see nothing as the lights went out, and Tony and Thor's cries of warning were said several feet away from them.

But it was too late...something was already coming towards them...


	2. Chapter 2

Steve woke up thrashing his many pillows and blankets that were supposed to make him warm and secure. He felt sick to his stomach as his anxiety hovered at a high level of discomfort.

"_Captain, are you alright? Your heart rate is higher than would deem safe for rest._" FRIDAY was concerned. The AI always kept tabs on each Avenger, even after...well...

Tony was perfectly fine with swallowing his pride, and more than happy to offer back his home, no, _their home_, to the entire team. Steve much preferred this place upstate as opposed to the Tower back in the city for several reasons.

Less interruptions...peace and quiet...for the most part...

Maybe a little too quiet nowadays. Who knew such devastating defeat would bring them together again? That was how they assembled in the first place what seemed like so long ago. So much has happened.

Now, the world, the universe, was a lot smaller...

Steve wonders if it was because they were literally scattered all over the place.

_"How do you guys plan on beating him?"_

_"Together."_

_"And if we lose?"_

_"...then we'll do that together too..."_

Tony shook as he was so tired and had way too much caffeine in the past ten hours, but kept on working on the new suit upgrade. Nanotech was the answer...but apparently, it just was not enough to cut the bill. And not enough, well, that was just unacceptable for Tony Stark.

"_Boss, Captain Rogers has suffered from another nightmare._"

Tony sighed, stopping his work and slumped into a chair. Despite being told not to worry, Tony worried about every member of this broken family he had adopted. He made sure to keep tabs on everyone, not just for their safety after the whole debacle with the Accords, and of course the Mad Titan himself, but because he truly cared about the Avengers and their personal lives.

"Ok..." Tony got up and made his way to the kitchen to make some tea. He knew the healthnut much preferred his green tea over coffee, so he figured it could help relax him after he tore up the gym...again.

Tony entered the gym to find it...empty.

Odd. Where was Steve?

"FRIDAY?"

"_The Captain is up on the roof talking to Thor_."

"Thanks." Tony made his way up to find the two he was now looking for sitting on the edge of the building, legs dangling carelessly as they watched the sun rise. "There's my two beautiful men!" He made himself at home on the other side of Steve, offering him the hot cup of steamy goodness.

Steve quietly thanked him, but took it gratefully, inhaling the warmness and calmness it always brings.

Tony could practically _hear _Steve silently ask Thor, to which the Asgardian replied, "It is up to you. We're all friends here..."

"Everything ok, Cap?"

"Not really..." Steve took a tentative sip. "This time was different...it wasn't the ice, or the War, you know, the old one...it wasn't aliens or Ultron...it was...it was..."

"Take your time..." Tony encouraged.

"Ok, well, maybe it had to do a little with...all of it..."

"Oh, Steve..." Tony placed a hand on the shaky shoulder of the man. "I'm so sorry..." _I am not very good at this, therapy thing...maybe time to bring back BARF, and probably rename it..._

"We were all there, back taking down HYDRA, when I had asked all of y'all for help."

"Which we were more than happy to accompany you to battle for the greater good." Thor said. "Never doubt that."

"I know...nothing bad happened...between us...but this was a totally new place, I don't know if it exists or not, but, for some reason, it's so clear in my mind...I..."

"Cap, we can always go check it out, to bring you peace of mind, if anything." Tony assured him. "We can leave first thing tomorrow, if you want."

"Tony, what I saw...this was not like any other HYDRA base with weapons, or even people being...enhanced...maybe it was, I don't know...but this..."

Tony could already figure out what Steve was trying to say. He never wanted to catch Steve up on what soldiers discovered towards the end of WWII. The good ol' captain was too busy with HYDRA to even worry about The Final Solution. There was no point in causing Steve any more grief than what he was already going through, realizing everything you know was gone, or almost gone. Just like with Steve not telling him about his parents, he thought he was sparing him from further pain. And now, it seems to have backfired...all good intentions...

Thor was massaging tense muscles in Steve's back. "There was...this hospital underneath the base. But it looked like a prison, with cages lining the halls. I could hear children laughing, like it was a ghost." Steve shuddered, and Thor stopped moving. Tony was getting curious, but dreading what was to come next. "I went in with Nat and Clint, while you two were outside with Banner, and we found..." Steve started to cry. He would not look at either of them.

"Steve?" Tony grabbed his hand, which was squeezed so hard, but he did not care, he was getting nervous.

He took a weak breath. "There was...blood on the wall, w-with...bones...and jars of-"

"Ok, Ok...shhhh...it's alright." Tony stopped him. He did not need to hear anything else. "Just leave it at that."

Thunder rumbled.

"You need to take a few laps, He-Man?"

Thor stood up, and started pacing. He then knelt down in front of Steve. "Wherever you think this is, I will go myself and destroy it. You have my word. I will let you rest again, Steven. You have suffered too much to let this one dream tear you apart." He turned to Tony. "Stark, can you find where this is?"

Tony nodded, then realized he had no idea where to begin. Steve never told him where it was.

"I'll figure it out."

"Thank-you. If you will excuse me." Thor went to go pray for strength and guidance.

Steve still shook with fear. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Tony asked. "Did you break the gym again? Honestly, I enjoy it. It gives me a nice challenge..."

"No..." Steve actually cracked a smile. Tony can always lighten the mood, and he knew it was on purpose to make him feel better. "For being so..._weak_."

"_Bullshit_." Tony spat. "Look at me, Steve. You may have Thor and the Hulk, giving you a run for your money, but here..." Tony pressed his finger into Steve's chest. "You are the strongest person I know..."

Tears finally flowed, as Steve remembered all those years ago. He still tried every day to keep that promise. To make him proud.

"Things have been rough on you since you woke up, to say the least. I don't even think you've had time to breathe, much less have a vacation."

"You took us to Disney World that one time." Steve smiled.

"That doesn't count. That was filled with so much anxiety, we kept losing Thor, I thought Banner would Hulk out just at the sight of a screaming child, and..." Tony's eyes widened. "_Shit!_ I'm sorry, I'm rambling, and I didn't even-"

"Tony, it's ok. I get what you mean." He frowned again. "Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Cap, it's the least I can do." _After failing you so many times._


	3. Chapter 3

Steve gripped his shield tight as the Avengers landed the Helicarrier somewhere near Hiroshima, as he had unfortunately read about on the Internet some time after waking up.

_They say we won, but never said what we lost._

"Now, Steve, if this is too much, we can just up and leave, no problem." Tony looked him in the eye, no judgment, just as a friend.

"I need to make sure this is all really over with." Steve hated having to bring everyone up out of their home after losing to Thanos, but they have to move on. And if this horrid nightmare had a lick of truth in it, which it did...he had to see with his own eyes.

Steve walked a little behind Thor and Tony, worried beyond measure what was to come. The woods were eerily quiet, the trees baring no vegetation. There were also no wildlife, not even a faint bird chirping in the sky. Which, to be honest, was hard to see, despite it being high noon. The ghostly fog and clouds hid the sun away from view, and with the dark forest, it was hard to see where exactly to go.

Luckily, Tony used his suit's tech to try to pick up any signs of life that once was.

"I think we should keep heading this way." Tony pointed forward. "Once we get down here, I think there's an old path we can follow to see this witch's cottage."

Steve was too distracted to shut down Tony's sarcastic name-calling during inappropriate times, which was all the time. He felt so nervous, his stomach in knots because he did not want his dream to become a reality. He was hoping it was just a bad dream, even a bad dream conjured up by Thanos himself as a way of future torment after killing half of the universe.

They looked to see the wind pick up, leaves rustling, and Thor could have sworn he saw dust float in the air for a moment before taking its time back down.

_So much death and sorrow in this place._

Thor was actually glad they decided to come, because maybe, well, maybe they could actually help someone. It would be nice after losing so much these past few years.

_I will exact my revenge on Thanos. By my father's wrath, I will!_

They stopped at the clearing, stunned to see what lied before them.

An old house, one that should not be standing with the horrible condition it was in. Windows were smashed in, the door hanging by a thread at an odd angle. It looked to have been abandoned for _years_. Long enough to give off that haunted house vibe, Tony thought to himself.

Steve gulped as they slowly approached the house, hoping it was not a trap. Because, this was obviously no one's home, it was inhabitable. But after all of this time, who would stick around a place like this? The Avengers have never even been to Japan, except Pepper and Tony a few times years ago, but that was for Stark Industries.

The house seemed to want them to come inside, the wind suddenly picking up, throwing the broken door open.

They all looked at each other uneasily, and stepped inside.


	4. Chapter 4

"Ok, I thought Halloween didn't start until October?" Tony shown his flashlights out of his suit around the dusty place. It really did look like a poor man's haunted mansion. The living space had a fireplace with more dust than rotting wood, with so many spiders, they all got the creeps. Cobwebs were everywhere, in every corner, every place a shadow could be...they even left footprints as they slowly took in their surroundings. It was also deathly quiet, which only added to the unwanted tension between three of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

"I do not appreciate your jokes at this time, Stark." Thor looked around uneasily. "I sense a dark presence here, reminiscent of my sister."

"You have a sister?" Tony asked.

"She's the Goddess of Death, killed by the fire demon Surtur as they destroyed Asgard right before Thanos." Thor nonchalantly said.

Tony and Steve gaped at him. "Are you ok?" Tony could have sworn he did not hear Thor say anything about this. Sure, he was depressed and mopey like everyone else, but they slowly went day by day with their life after the Decimation. Had he have known what the guy went through, he would have been more helpful. And by helpful, he would have hired a professional to talk with Thor, or just have FRIDAY do it. She was good at _everything._

"Uh, guys, what was that?" Steve shushed them.

Tony was confused. Thor asked, "What was what? I heard nothing."

"Super boy can hear like a dog." Tony said. "And now I've got a baaaaad feeling about this."

_HAHAHAHAHAHAHA_

"Did you hear that?" Thor asked quietly, frozen in fear like everyone else. This was embarrassing! He has fought all sorts of monsters and demons, but a child's laughter is what is setting him off now?!

"I hate to say it..." Tony went slowly for the door, where he was sure the sound was coming from.

"Wait! Tony! Do you think that is the best idea right now?" Steve whispered.

"Actually, yeah, because if it's a ghost, they can't really hurt us...I don't think..." He mumbled that last part.

Steve hated it when Tony was unsure. He was so used to the ease of just knowing the genius always had things under control, and that there was nothing to worry about. Now, however...

"Tony...please..."

"Steve, I promise, no Nazi mad scientist is going to get you-"

An ear-piercing scream made Tony jump back and on top of Thor, whose curiosity landed him in the crossfire. With a grunt, they both landed at Steve's feet.

"What the hell was that?!" Tony shouted in fear.

"I do not wish to find out..." Thor got up and jerked Tony up.

"Guys..." Steve barely managed to get out past his lips, he was shaking so bad.

"Ok, Steve, I'm sorry, let's just get the hell out of here, and I'll torch the place, how's that sound, ok? Then the ghosts have to go to-"

Steve's eyes widened even more, making Tony stop dead in his tracks, as he turned to see...


	5. Chapter 5

"Tony..." Steve managed, his whole forearm going numb from gripping his shield so tight.

All three stumbled as far away from the door, which fell off to the side from its hinges, and another laugh rang out from the girl in front of them.

She did not look to be eight years old. Her stained hospital gown was drenched in red polka dots of various shaped blood, and what seemed to be fresher blood dripping from the floor behind her. Pigeon-toed, she limped forward, swaying side to side as if in a trance. And her smile...it was the scariest thing they had ever seen in their lives. And Thor had been around more than anyone.

"H-hii..." Tony tried to play it cool, but his voice cracked with fear and uncertainty. He does not remember ever feeling this clueless and shaken up. But, then again, the whole abandoned-bleeding-child-in-the-middle-of-nowhere was not a part of his expertise. "Are you ok? Let me help you-"

"_HAHAHAHA!" _They all covered their ears in pain as the laugh was surprisingly loud, the vibrations literally hurting them. As soon as it started, it ended, and one could hear a pin drop it was so silent. "I'm fine, _silly_." The little girl finally spoke. "Come play with me!"

Steve felt a knot in his stomach, trying to make sense of what was before him. Clearly, something was not right. Her eyes were strange, as if they were searching for a weak spot, a place to lash out and deliver the killing blow. And the puddle of blood behind her did not help his situation. Was she a ghost? A zombie? Steve Rogers had learned a lot of things since he woke up. Magic, aliens, super-advanced technology all exist. But...this? Was this a new kind of enemy? Was this really what he did not see in his dream? This...He shook himself out of it. Look! Her voice...it was so innocent, and she looked so helpless...and hurt!

"Um...well, I-" Steve slowly stood up, his free hand out as if calming a wild animal who was about to attack. "I'm sorry...but we...have, to go...and-"

That creepy smile she wore instantly fell, and she tilted her head in curiosity. "Why not?" Her bottom lip trembled, almost starting to cry. "Is it because I'm not good enough!?"

Steve shook his head, Thor fighting against himself to either attack or rescue the poor girl. He had no idea what to do.

"No, no, of course not, I-I mean, you are...enough, I...wha-t do you wanna play?"

"_Steve..._" Tony sharply whispered under his breath. "_We need to get the hell out of dodge before-_"

That laugh came out again, and Tony tried to grab Steve and Thor and fly out, but to his horror, he found out his suit would not _function!_

"FRIDAY?"

Nothing.

He gulped. "FRIDAY?" Tony felt heavy, the lights went out, and he fell out of his suit flat on his face. His eyes took in her, mere inches from his face. Slowly, and as calmly as possible, Tony pushed himself up and backwards, reaching for Thor and Steve.

"FRIDAY is no longer with us anymore..." The little girl innocently stated. "She was being mean to me, and I don't like it when people are mean to me." She chuckled lightly to herself as she stepped forward and they instinctively stepped back. "Can we go play now?"


	6. Chapter 6

The little girl waited, and dead silence answered her. She turned around to limp back through the door. Stopping suddenly and looking back over her shoulder, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Steve squeezed Thor's arm so tight, knowing his strength would probably break Tony's bone through his armor.

They could not believe it.

Her little head was sticky with dark, black blood, and it could be seen through her very thin hair that her head was disfigured. It looked like her head was bashed in, brains squished behind her eyes.

Tony's stomach lurched, regretting the fact that he actually ate dinner last night.

Once again, Thor was at war with himself with what to do, afraid to cry out to her to help her injured self, but knew there was a darker presence over this place.

As if she could feel their stares, the girl whipped her head back around.

"Do you like my new look? They told me it was supposed to help, even though I used to be a very naughty girl." She said matter-of-factly.

Tony held back a choked sob, remembering those times when his father would back hand him for talking back, or whipping him with a belt for not being good enough, and immediately started to feel remorse for this child. Despite not-so-good intentions with whatever death-trap lay ahead of them, he knew she was a victim. He knew she was literally beaten into submission by those damn Nazis.

"It...is..._very. pretty._" Tony tried to remain calm, because if he was being honest with himself, flying through the wormhole did not scare him as much as this moment right now did. "Your m...m..."

"I don't have a mommy, silly!" Her smile tore her cheek a little more, and Steve could not help but reach for his own jaw, massaging it comfortably.

"Oh, ok...sorry, um...wanna play hide and seek?" Tony prayed for a yes so he could get the hell out of dodge, then send a missile to blow this place to smithereens.

"_NO!_" The girl screeched, and everyone jumped back, defensive, waiting for the attack...that never came. "You're not leaving me like they did." She pointed behind them, where they saw a pile of skeletons that Tony could have sworn were _not there _before. "They were being mean...they wanted to get me in trouble! THEY HURT ME!" The little girl plopped down to the ground, legs and arms crossed, and cried.

Thor gulped, regretting what he was about to do. He knelt down in front of her, trying but failing to pretend that she was just a normal little girl who was just needing a little cheering up.

"Hey...it's alright, my friend." Thor smiled. She looked up at him and sniffed, using her bloody sleeve as a tissue. "No one is going to hurt you anymore, you have my word. Do you want to go outside?"

"I can't go outside!" She cried. "They said so!"

"Well, now, they're not here, are they?" Thor asked, but paled when she pointed behind them again. "Listen, they are not. here. ok? Come on, then." He held his hand out, palm up, inviting and patient.

She licked her lips, smacking them with the blood like it was sugar. Tony and Steve tried to keep it together. She nodded her head, but did not take Thor's hand, to their relief.

"After you, my lady." Thor bowed playfully, which she appreciated, as she giggled and began to actually genuinely smile. He dropped the facade and jerked his head for Tony and Steve to follow him then run as fast as they could.

They nodded in understanding.


	7. Chapter 7

Thor carefully walked forward to follow the little girl, then shouted "RUN!"

Tony and Steve pivoted and lunged for the door.

"Huh?" That little voice whined. She started crying, and the house _shook_. "WHY ARE YOU LEAVING ME?"

Thor grabbed Tony's idle suit, Steve keeping his shield between them and her. They crashed through the outside of the house and they landed roughly on the porch. Scrambling, they got up and sprinted into the woods.

Steve dared to look behind, and his heart sank as he saw the girl standing there, crying _blood _down her pale cheeks. She did not even bother chasing after them.

"Cap? Cap! Come on! We're not out of the woods yet!" Tony called behind him.

They made it to the Quinjet surprisingly with no fuss, and Tony hopped onto the controls, having to manually do it, since FRIDAY was still unresponsive.

_That's not good._

"What's taking so long?" Thor anxiously asked, peering out the window for danger.

"FRIDAY is not here either, I'm having to do this the old fashioned way!" Tony angrily called out, pushing buttons, mumbling to himself. Beads of sweat were rolling down his whitened face from whatever terror they were trying to escape from. "How we looking?"

"No sign of her..." Thor pointed out, although not very confident in his answer.

Steve was shaking in his seat, his knee bouncing faster than a sprint would be.

"Steven?" Thor placed a gentle hand on the soldier's knee, but removed it when Steve jerked out of his head, looking terrified. "It's alright. Stark is the smartest man I know. He's-" He looked up at the sound of the engine's hum and smiled. "We're leaving this place, alright?"

Steve nodded and buried his face behind his shield, still attached to his arm.

"We have lift off..." Tony said in relief. When he spun the Quinjet around, he paused. "Uh...guys...maybe I need to get a new prescription, but...wasn't the house right _there_?" He pointed to a clearing with a doe running through from the wind caused by their aircraft hovering above.

"Indeed." Thor answered, confused. "But...we were just there...were we not?"

Steve peered forward nervously, and his jaw dropped. "What is going on?"

Tony thought back to his time on Titan. Before they lost...when _he _turned a decimated planet into a paradise, a moon into a giant meteor shower, and even transformed one of their attacks into a swarm of birds...

"I don't know...but I think someone is still trying to fuck with us, and I am _not _in the mood." Tony said darkly.

"What do you mean, Tony?" Steve asked.

"I never told you guys what happened when I met Thanos..." Tony's stomach flipped as he remembered the pain from being stabbed. "With nothing but a _thought_, he used the stones to unleash chaos, changing things left and right, illusions too...I..."

"We've seen what some of these stones can do..." Thor solemnly said. "And what they can do together..."

"Why torture us anymore?" Steve asked desperately. "He won, ok?!"

"Steve..." Tony turned his gaze from the sky and looked him in the eye. "I promised you I was gonna get to the bottom of this, ok? Now, this situation just keeps getting weirder and I don't like it. But now...hey, look at me. We're gonna find him...and we're gonna make him pay..."

Steve nodded as they headed back to New York, ready to regroup and decide how best to approach this horrific discovery.


End file.
